Keeping our Eyes Fixed on Jesus
1 Peter 1:6-7 says, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - my be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
This trial is not what I would have asked for specifically. But I have prayed for a deeper relationship with the Lord and to live a life that glorifies Him. As we have walked this cancer journey, we have certainly been growing in the "grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior" and have been learning valuable lessons in trusting the Lord. I continue to pray for a genuine, enduring faith, and that the Lord is pleased with our response. . .
February 8, 2011
Again this week, we have been reminded that God has Dennis in His hands. He is doing better than expected with his 2nd cycle of chemo. The first three days he was very tired, had an overall “blahh” feeling, and little appetite. By Sunday he was beginning to feel a bit better and seems to be doing better each day. Dennis is experiencing some sensitivity to cold foods and drinks as well as using metal silverware. He gets a tingling type sensation in the back of his throat with the first bite or two of some foods. And some foods and drinks have an altered taste. So far everything is tolerable, and he is grateful he does not have to be attached to his pump for more than three days. The only thing that was a bit of a concern was that Dennis’ blood counts were low.
We have an appointment tomorrow (2/9) with the surgeon for an exam and hopefully to schedule surgery. Next Wednesday Dennis will have his third cycle of chemo which means we will be near the end of this stage of treatment. Time is going by fairly quickly, and we are grateful it is easier than anticipated.
Josh and I have been covering the life of Jesus in Bible. Last week we read and discussed the story of Peter walking on the water. This story so perfectly illustrated where we were last week. We had our eyes focused on our circumstances instead of on the Lord. As a result we had become anxious and worried. When Peter took his eyes off of the Lord, he too became anxious and began to sink. But as we began to turn our worries over to the Lord and trust Him to get us through, then we had confidence. Peter was only able to stay afloat when he kept his eyes on the Lord. I guess we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves - Peter had the physical Jesus to keep his eyes on and he still floundered. We are called to keep our eyes on what is unseen. As the Lord did with Peter, He reminds us to not be of little faith. And truly at every turn, He has met us where we are at and given us just what we need to get through the present difficulty.
In Max Lucado’s book “A Gentle Thunder” he writes about climbing a rock wall with his daughter. He slipped off and found himself suspended by his safety rope. The guide encouraged him to continue. He did and made it to the top. Lucado writes:
“You and I are on a great climb. The wall is high, and the stakes are higher. You took your first step the day you confessed Christ as the Son of God. He gave you his harness - the Holy Spirit. In your hands he placed a rope - his Word.
Your first steps were confident and strong, but with the journey came weariness, and with the height came fear. You lost your footing. You lost your focus. You lost your grip, and you fell. For a moment, which seemed like forever, you tumbled wildly. Out of control. Out of self-control. Disoriented. Dislodged. Falling .
But then the rope tightened, and the tumbling ceased. You hung in the harness and found it to be strong. You grasped the rope and found it to be true. You looked at your guide and found Jesus securing your soul. With a sheepish confession, you smiled at him and he smiled at you, and the journey resumed.
Now you are wiser. You have learned to go slowly. You are careful. You are cautious, but you are also confident. You trust the rope. You rely on the harness. And though you can’t see your guide, you know him. You know he is strong. You know he is able to keep you from falling.
And you know you are only a few more steps from the top. So whatever you do, don’t quit. Though your falls are great, his strength is greater. You will make it. You will see the summit. You will stand at the top. And when you get there, the first thing you’ll do is join with all the others who have made the climb and sing this verse:
We are continuing to learn to trust the “rope” and the “harness” when the weariness begins to set in and we feel like we can’t hold on any longer. God has been faithful to “catch” us at every hard spot. He has proven himself strong. It is with growing confidence that we continue on this journey. We will not give up and we will not quit. To God be the glory!
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. May we all grow in the areas where our faith is weak.
Until the next update, God bless you all.
Carolyn
This trial is not what I would have asked for specifically. But I have prayed for a deeper relationship with the Lord and to live a life that glorifies Him. As we have walked this cancer journey, we have certainly been growing in the "grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior" and have been learning valuable lessons in trusting the Lord. I continue to pray for a genuine, enduring faith, and that the Lord is pleased with our response. . .
February 8, 2011
Again this week, we have been reminded that God has Dennis in His hands. He is doing better than expected with his 2nd cycle of chemo. The first three days he was very tired, had an overall “blahh” feeling, and little appetite. By Sunday he was beginning to feel a bit better and seems to be doing better each day. Dennis is experiencing some sensitivity to cold foods and drinks as well as using metal silverware. He gets a tingling type sensation in the back of his throat with the first bite or two of some foods. And some foods and drinks have an altered taste. So far everything is tolerable, and he is grateful he does not have to be attached to his pump for more than three days. The only thing that was a bit of a concern was that Dennis’ blood counts were low.
We have an appointment tomorrow (2/9) with the surgeon for an exam and hopefully to schedule surgery. Next Wednesday Dennis will have his third cycle of chemo which means we will be near the end of this stage of treatment. Time is going by fairly quickly, and we are grateful it is easier than anticipated.
Josh and I have been covering the life of Jesus in Bible. Last week we read and discussed the story of Peter walking on the water. This story so perfectly illustrated where we were last week. We had our eyes focused on our circumstances instead of on the Lord. As a result we had become anxious and worried. When Peter took his eyes off of the Lord, he too became anxious and began to sink. But as we began to turn our worries over to the Lord and trust Him to get us through, then we had confidence. Peter was only able to stay afloat when he kept his eyes on the Lord. I guess we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves - Peter had the physical Jesus to keep his eyes on and he still floundered. We are called to keep our eyes on what is unseen. As the Lord did with Peter, He reminds us to not be of little faith. And truly at every turn, He has met us where we are at and given us just what we need to get through the present difficulty.
In Max Lucado’s book “A Gentle Thunder” he writes about climbing a rock wall with his daughter. He slipped off and found himself suspended by his safety rope. The guide encouraged him to continue. He did and made it to the top. Lucado writes:
“You and I are on a great climb. The wall is high, and the stakes are higher. You took your first step the day you confessed Christ as the Son of God. He gave you his harness - the Holy Spirit. In your hands he placed a rope - his Word.
Your first steps were confident and strong, but with the journey came weariness, and with the height came fear. You lost your footing. You lost your focus. You lost your grip, and you fell. For a moment, which seemed like forever, you tumbled wildly. Out of control. Out of self-control. Disoriented. Dislodged. Falling .
But then the rope tightened, and the tumbling ceased. You hung in the harness and found it to be strong. You grasped the rope and found it to be true. You looked at your guide and found Jesus securing your soul. With a sheepish confession, you smiled at him and he smiled at you, and the journey resumed.
Now you are wiser. You have learned to go slowly. You are careful. You are cautious, but you are also confident. You trust the rope. You rely on the harness. And though you can’t see your guide, you know him. You know he is strong. You know he is able to keep you from falling.
And you know you are only a few more steps from the top. So whatever you do, don’t quit. Though your falls are great, his strength is greater. You will make it. You will see the summit. You will stand at the top. And when you get there, the first thing you’ll do is join with all the others who have made the climb and sing this verse:
We are continuing to learn to trust the “rope” and the “harness” when the weariness begins to set in and we feel like we can’t hold on any longer. God has been faithful to “catch” us at every hard spot. He has proven himself strong. It is with growing confidence that we continue on this journey. We will not give up and we will not quit. To God be the glory!
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. May we all grow in the areas where our faith is weak.
Until the next update, God bless you all.
Carolyn
Comments
Post a Comment